Five Favorite Charleston Lunch Spots

Happy Wednesday!  With spring on the horizon, I can't wait to have more friends and family visiting over the next couple of months.  Since Mike and I both work full-time, we like to send our parents out on their own adventures during the week, but meeting up for lunch is one of our favorites.  I always get the dreaded "where should we go?" question, so I've decided to round up five of our favorites, perfect for lunch.  These have a little something for everyone, and if you're visiting Charleston, you're sure to love all of them!

The Park Cafe: Located on the north end of the city on Rutledge Avenue, near Hampton Park, The Park Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch during the week and brunch on the weekends.  If you're looking for a spot with a great cocktail for lunch, I definitely suggest this place.  Everything is made with local ingredients, and the space is so bright and filled with greenery.  I suggest the Honey Poached Turkey Sandwich, Avocado Toast, or House-Made Granola.

Vintage Coffee Cafe: I previously included this spot in my round up of favorite coffee places (here's that link).  This is another one that's great for breakfast or lunch, located in Mount Pleasant, and I love the PB Chocolate Banana Acai Bowl for either.  My favorite sandwiches are the Grown Up Grilled Cheese and Roasted Turkey BLT.  Plus, Coastal Crust now has a brick & mortar location at the back of Vintage (where there is tons of shared outdoor seating), so if you're in the mood for pizza, this is the place to go. 

Queen Street Grocery: I've dedicated a whole post to Queen St. before, but it deserves to be mentioned in this list, again.  If you're visiting downtown, this is just two blocks west of King Street and a block north of Broad Street.  I always go for a salad and a sweet crepe - a little of everything!  My favorite salad is the Caesar and crepe is the Johns Island with banana and brown butter.  If you're looking for a savory crepe, you can't go wrong with the Murray or St. Helena.

Verde: With four locations around the city, no matter where you are, you are probably only a few minutes from a Verde location.  They have some of the best (and craziest!) salad combinations.  If you aren't in the mood for one of their 10 signature creations (always on the menu), you can make your own salad from 7 different lettuce blends, add in 40+ ingredients, and get it tossed or chopped with one of 15 dressings, all made in-house.  My favorite signature creation is the South Harvest with grilled chicken, apples, and cornbread croutons, and right now, I am loving the seasonal Pineapple Poke Express selection.  Plus, each location is so bright and colorful!

Caviar and Bananas: This is one of the food emporiums in the city.  Located right near College of Charleston, it is always packed but well worth the line.  They have stations of fresh-made sandwiches, salads, sushi, charcuterie and cheese, and pastries as well as specialty packaged foods and lots of local beer and wine.  If you're near the City Market, you can also find their sandwich station right inside the Great Hall.  Their sandwiches are delicious, and my newest favorite is making my own with their Italian Meat Trio, house-made mozzarella, and balsamic vinaigrette.  If I'm eating there, I also stop by their deli to grab a side of whatever the pasta salad of the day is.

I try to only go out to lunch once per week, but with all of these just minutes from my office, it's hard not to go somewhere different each day!